So Far So Great, or Not
by ShainaNight
Summary: Sonny's mom dies in a fatal car crash, leaving Sonny all alone. So what happens when her dad shows up after being gone for ten years? And is he really all he pretends to be?
1. Just Another Monday Morning

**A little preview of the story to come. My first Sonny With a Chance fan fiction. I do not own SWAC. Please read and review! :)**

It was ironic that tragedy was destined to strike on one of the prettiest days in May. Sonny Munroe was blissfully unaware of it at first. To her, it was just another Monday on the _So Random!_ studio set. It began as any other Monday did at least; at five o'clock, when it was still dark out, and no one was really awake. One by one the cast of _So Random!_ stumbled into the Commissary for breakfast, scripts in hand for last minute studying. Zora was at the head of the table as always, her hair sticking up in its usual odd fashion, and was busy nodding off over a surprisingly large mug of steaming coffee. No one bothered to say anything about it; the last person who told her she was too young to be drinking coffee was mysteriously gone the next day.

Grady and Nico weren't even trying to stay awake. The second they walked in they had laid their heads in their arms and were currently snoring up a storm. Tawni was preoccupied with removing the whipped cream from her latte that Starbucks had neglected to leave off, despite her emphatic instructions. Sonny was the only one eating substantial food, which consisted of powdered donuts and a banana.

"Got enough to eat there, Sonny?"

Sonny looked up into the smirking face of Chad Dylan Cooper. "Not now, Chad. I think it's only fair to warn you that messing with someone who is still half-asleep is risky business."

"What are you going to do, throw a donut at me?" He joked.

"No, but I don't expect that orange juice and that fancy Mackenzie Falls uniform of yours mix very well," Sonny remarked, holding up her glass of orange juice threateningly.

Chad backed away, his hands shielding his light blue button-up shirt. "Hey, no reason to go overboard. I was just playing around." With that he returned to his own table, which was devoid of food as usual. That was Mackenzie Falls for you.

Sonny laughed and set down her glass. "Too easy," She muttered to herself.


	2. Unwanted Phone Call

**Chapter two. I do not own SWAC. Please read and review :)**

The rest of the day was immediately taken over by the filming of _So Random!_'s latest skit. Soon enough it was six o'clock in the evening and time to leave.

"Tawni, can you help me out of this thing?" Sonny asked, referring to her ridiculously uncomfortable mermaid costume. the zipper kept catching on the nylon scales.

"Has someone been eating too many donuts for breakfast again?" Tawni asked with a smirk.

"Ha ha, very funny. It's this darn zipper, actually."

"You just keep thinking that," Tawni said airily before flouncing over to help.

Sonny rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Getting out of that itchy costume was more important than a comeback at the moment.

An hour later, Sonny was standing outside the So Random! studio, dressed in regular clothes and waiting for her mom to pick her up. She'd been there for forty five minutes already and was starting to get a little worried. Connie Munroe was never late.

"Sonny with a frown on her face? Now that's an oxymoron."

Sonny sighed and turned to face Chad. "What's this, Chad? Fraternizing with the enemy in broad daylight, and in front of the _So Random!_ studio no less? That's very brave of you."

"I'll take my chances." Chad smiled, and Sonny had to look away. Lately that smile had been giving her a strange fluttering feeling in her stomach, which was something she didn't entirely like considering who he was. "So what exactly are you doing standing out here anyway?"

"I'm waiting for my ride to get here. She's late."

"Well I could take you home, if you want," Chad offered.

Sonny looked at him in surprise. "Chad Dylan Cooper? Caring? I think you need to see a doctor and get this checked out, Chad."

"Hey, even Chad Dylan Cooper can be polite sometimes when he wants to be. But if you really want to stay here all night, that's fine with me." Chad began walking off in the opposite direction.

"Wait!"

That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He turned around, grinning, and said, "Yes?"

"I suppose you can take me home. Just this once though," Sonny told him. She figured she could send a text to her mom explaining the situation. Connie had failed to answer any of her calls after all.

"My car's this way," Chad said, placing a hand on Sonny's elbow and steering her towards the Mackenzie Falls parking lot. Even that slightest touch made him tingle, and he wished he could move his hand to her lower back, although that would be much too awkward at the moment. Maybe one day, when Sonny was on friendlier terms with him, but not yet.

They soon reached Chad's sparkling BMW convertible and got inside.

"Shouldn't you put the top up? You probably don't want people seeing us together," Sonny remarked as Chad turned the key in the ignition.

"Nah, it's too nice outside to have the roof up," Chad said. He didn't mind if people saw them and drew their own conclusions. Perhaps if they were seen as a couple, Sonny would consider them actually being one. Someday.

"Shocking, but okay." Sonny dug a pair of large sunglasses out of her purse and put them on.

"That's not the best disguise, you know."

"True, but it's the best I could do on such short notice."

Chad laughed and shifted the convertible into drive. In no time they were racing down the palm tree-lined California highway, following Sonny's directions to the apartment she shared with her mother. Once they reached the complex, Chad pulled around to the back and helped Sonny out of the car. For a couple seconds they stood there with their hands touching and their eyes locked, and something passed between them that made them both think, _Maybe_. But then Sonny stepped up onto the sidewalk, and the connection was broken.

"Well I guess I'll see you at the studio tomorrow, then," Sonny said awkwardly.

"Yeah, see you then," Chad replied, equally uncomfortable. For once in his life he couldn't think of anything witty to say. Being with Sonny dazed him a bit.

And then she was gone, the back door swinging shut behind her. Chad sighed, got back into his BMW, and drove off.

Connie Munroe never came home. Sonny waited for her at their apartment for hours, raiding the kitchen for leftover pizza in the meantime. When nine o' clock rolled around with still no sign of her, Sonny started getting panicky. She called and texted her mom's cell a million times with no reply and was about to take more drastic measures when the phone rang at nine twenty. Sonny breathed a sigh of relief and snatched it up. But it wasn't Connie on the other end.

It was the police station.

**Now we're getting to the dramatic part. Fun. lol. Don't worry, I'll update soon.**


	3. Daddy Dearest

**Okay impatient people lol, here's chapter three. I included some Chad/Sonny sweetness for you to make up for the sadness :) Please read and review. I don't own SWAC.**

Sonny woke up the next morning to find that it was pouring outside. The weather mirrored her mood perfectly, and she didn't bother to get out of bed. She didn't even feel like being alive at the moment.

The previous night had been one of the worst nights of her life. For at exactly nine twenty one pm, the police had informed her that her mother was dead, instantly killed in a fatal car crash caused by a drunk driver. Everything they said afterwards faded away until it was no more than a droning mumble, for all Sonny could hear were the words 'dead', 'fatal' and 'car crash' repeating themselves over and over in her head. They mentioned something about getting in touch with her closest family members before offering their condolences and hanging up.

Sonny had already spent the night crying until she fell asleep, waking up from a nightmare, and sobbing again. Now, on this rainy, gray Tuesday morning, she found herself staring numbly at the wall, having no tears left to cry.

There was a sudden gentle knock on the door. Sonny heard Chad's voice calling her name, but she didn't get up to let him in. She wasn't sure she wanted to move ever again.

She had forgotten about the spare key her mother used to keep under the welcome mat. Chad, who was concerned about Sonny's well-being, quickly found it and let himself in.

"Sonny, are you okay?" Chad asked softly, walking into the room. "I heard about—what happened, and I thought I should check on you." He chose his words carefully, trying not to upset her.

Sonny didn't respond. She felt the bed sink a little beside her and Chad's hand on her shoulder. The warmth of his touch made her feel a little better, and she rolled over to look at him. "Why? Why'd she have to leave me?" She asked. She could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes.

"She's not entirely gone, Sonny. She's still here,watching over you. And one day you'll see her again," Chad said soothingly.

Sonny blinked. "That's surprisingly thoughtful, coming from you," she remarked.

"Well I did lose my older brother. We used to do everything together: football, basketball, hunting, you name it. And then he was gone. It took me ages to get over it, until one night I had a dream that he was telling me that he missed me, but that we'd see each other soon enough and I shouldn't worry. Things turned around for me after that."

Chad's story surprised Sonny. She hadn't expected Chad Dylan Cooper to have so much depth to him. "Chad, I don't want to go to the studio today."

"You don't have to. Marshall told me to tell you that you can take as much time off as you need."

"And Chad, can you do something for me?"

Chad couldn't help noticing how lost Sonny's voice sounded when she said his name. "Anything."

"Can you just hold me for a little while?"

"Sure." Chad laid down on the edge of her bed and wrapped his arm around her. Sonny laid her head against his chest and was soon fast asleep. He smiled and laid his head on hers, content to share this little moment with her.

Sonny recovered considerably after Chad's visit. Three days later she was back at the studio. It didn't take long for her to notice that the atmosphere had changed. Everyone watched her as she passed them, their eyes full of pity.

"Listen, Sonny. I'm really sorry about your mom. And I'm—I'm really sorry if I've been rude to you lately. I just can't help it sometimes," Tawni said the moment Sonny stepped into their dressing room.

Sonny smiled. "Thank you, Tawni. That means a lot to me," she told her. "And don't worry about my mom. She's doing better where she is."

Tawni returned the smile and hugged her. Sonny wasn't quite sure how to react to this—Tawni wasn't usually much of a hugger—but she was glad that they were getting closer to being good friends, despite what it had cost her.

"Hey Sonny! Welcome back!" Grady exclaimed loudly from the doorway. Nico and Zora were right behind him.

"Oh brother," Zora muttered. She smacked him as hard as she could.

"Ow! What was that for?" Grady asked, rubbing his arm.

"We said 'cheerful'. Not 'scare the girl half to death'!" Nico reprimanded.

"Relax guys, its fine. You don't have to act like your walking on eggshells every time you're around me," Sonny announced.

"So you're okay?" Nico asked, although he still looked a little worried.

"I will be. I've got my friends here with me, after all," Sonny said.

"Amen sista!" Grady said. Zora smacked him again. "Ouch! Okay, what the reason for that one?"

"No reason. I just felt like doing it," Zora responded evilly.

A week later, Sonny was almost back to normal. True, she still got depressed sometimes, but there was one of her friends was always there to get her out of it. And then there was Chad. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on between them, but she knew she liked being with him. He was never too far away when she needed to talk to him.

But everything changed at the end of that week, when a person Sonny never expected to see again in her life showed up unannounced at the studio.

"Hey there, Alison!"

Sonny looked up in surprise at the man standing in the doorway of her dressing room. He was tall, at least six foot, and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was handsome, but something about his overly friendly smile made Sonny shiver.

"Sorry, but do I know you?"

"What, you don't remember your old dad?"

Sonny's eyes widened in shock. She knew he wasn't lying: now that she was really looking at him, the resemblances between her face and his were becoming clear. But the last time she had seen Jack Munroe was when she was six, and he was storming out of the house swearing he'd never return.

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here? Someone from the L.A. police station called me and told me what happened to your mother. Naturally I came here to assume my role as your guardian."

"Why do you care? Why now and not ten years ago, when you just up and left us?"

"Alison..."

"Sonny. I go by Sonny now." Sonny didn't know why she was so angry. Shouldn't she be happy her dad was back? Hadn't she wished during those ten years that he'd change his mind and come back?

"Sonny. I'm really sorry for what happened back then. But things are different now. I'm here to make amends."

Sonny was still suspicious, but she didn't have much of a choice. She was still a minor, after all, and with her mother gone, her father truly was her legal guardian. "Okay. But I'm not moving out of the apartment."

"That's fine with me," Jack said, smiling.


	4. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

**Chapter four. This one went through quite a bit of editing, because it was hardest to write. Hope you like it anyway :) I don't own SWAC. Please read and review.**

Things went okay at first. Jack seemed nice enough, although something about him still bugged Sonny. But everything changed one Friday evening when Sonny came home to find some disturbing images of barely clad women on the computer screen.

"Why are you looking at this---garbage?" Sonny asked her dad when he came back into the room.

"None of your business," Jack replied snappishly. He strode over and shut off the monitor.

"This is why you and Mom separated, isn't it? Because you had an addiction?" It was all coming back to Sonny now; everything her mind had blocked from her memory the minute Jack had left. The fights, the abuse, her dad's porn addiction and how he promised he would change but never did, something about a chemical imbalance, and finally her mom throwing him out of the house when she had had enough.

Jack slapped her, leaving an angry red mark behind. Sonny clutched her cheek in pain and shrank away. "I don't have an addiction! And don't you dare say that again, young lady!"

"Dad—" Sonny still felt awkward saying that word "—this is what tore you and Mom apart. You need to get help."

"Nothing happened between me and your mother. She was the one cheating on me!"

"That's a lie!" Sonny knew it was; her memory was as clear as ever now. But she paid dearly for that outburst. Jack charged at her and slammed her into the wall. Everything suddenly went black.

The next morning, Sonny woke up to find that her entire body ached. She was pretty sure her ribs were bruised somewhat, and when she touched her cheek, she could feel the faint outline of a welt there.

Gingerly Sonny got out of bed, groaning when her muscles protested. She cautiously walked around the house, looking for Jack. She found him sitting at the breakfast table, reading the paper as if nothing had happened.

"What happened to you?" Jack asked, looking surprised.

Sonny was stunned. "Don't you remember?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sonny."

Sonny couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was then that she remembered reading something on the internet about chemical imbalance and the abusive nature, and how sometimes a person with these problems would completely forget their actions. The girl hated it, but what she hated even more was that she had no idea what to do about it.

"Never mind," Sonny mumbled. She didn't waste time leaving the apartment that morning. Jack's split personalities scared her, and she didn't want to be there when the dangerous one returned.

"Whoa. What happened to you?" Chad asked when he saw Sonny the next day. It was early in the morning, way before Tawni arrived fashionably late as usual. She was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, trying to hide the welt on her cheek with foundation.

Sonny didn't know what to say. How does one tell somebody that their dad is abusive?

"Nothing. I fell down a few stairs. That's all," Sonny lied.

"Doesn't look like you just fell down the stairs. It looks someone hit you."

Sonny laughed nervously, hoping he'd believe that she thought he was joking. Chad relaxed a little, although he still looked apprehensive.

"There. Does that look any better?" Sonny asked, turning to face him.

"Nope. Still looks like you got hit by a truck," Chad laughed. Sonny's crestfallen expression made him stop. "Here, maybe if you put your hair over it like this..." Chad pulled a lock of Sonny's shiny, dark brown hair over the mark. "Perfect," he said softly, forgetting to retract his hand. Sonny reached up and held it, and they remained like that, lost in the moment, until Tawni rudely interrupted a few seconds later.

"Out! Get out of my dressing room, Chad Dylan Cooper!" Tawni shrieked.

"Alright, alright! I'm going," Chad said, leaving the room in a hurry. He looked back and gave Sonny one last smile before he disappeared.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You were holding his hand."

"No I wasn't."

"Sonny sonny sonny." Tawni sighed and plopped herself down on the overstuffed couch. "Denial's not going to get you anywhere. Now a couple weeks ago I would have really given it to you about this, but I'm a changed woman now." Sonny snorted. "Well I am! Anyway, I'm just going to say that you better be careful."

"Tawni, he really is a nice guy," Sonny protested.

"Oh that's not what I was talking about. I mean that Mackenzies aren't exactly tolerated around here, and I'm not responsible for the actions of our fellow cast mates. Or me, in case I'm involved somehow."

Sonny shook her head; arguing with Tawni required too much energy. "Fine, Tawni. Just don't kill him. Now we should probably get going; rehearsal starts in five minutes."

Time passed, and Sonny was lulled into a false sense of security. Jack didn't fly into any more rages, and he and Sonny were actually getting along pretty well. She wanted to love him. She wanted a dad, someone to talk to and go places with. But the knowledge of who he truly was, the person he could become, kept her from getting too close to him. She just couldn't fully trust someone who was actually two different people.

Sonny was right to be wary. She knew it the moment she walked through the front door to find Jack sprawled out on the couch. Several empty beer cans littered the coffee table in front of him. At first she thought he was asleep and attempted to sneak past him, but he reached out and grabbed her by the hand. Sonny stifled a scream.

"Where are you going, Connie?" Jack asked, his words slurring.

"I'm not Connie. I'm Sonny. Your daughter."

Jack paid her no heed. "I've missed you, Connie." He pulled her towards him, and for once in her life Sonny wished she didn't look so much like her mother.

"Let go," she ordered.

"Come on, I know you don't mean that." His leering face was barely an inch away.

Sonny couldn't take it anymore. She put all her strength into wrenching free and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She heard him roar and felt something very much like a bookend hit her squarely in the back. She lost her balance, crashing headfirst into the wall. Fueled by a sudden spurt of adrenaline, Sonny jumped to her feet and kept going, not looking back again until she was several blocks away.

Sonny fell to her knees as the pain suddenly hit her all at once. She could feel something wet trickling down her side and realized that it was blood. It was pitch-black out, and she was lying on an unfamiliar, poorly-lit sidewalk. Cold dark buildings stood like mile-high statues on either side of her. There wasn't a soul in sight.

With some difficulty the girl staggered to her feet and walked. She didn't know where she was going, only that she couldn't stay there. It was L.A., after all. Anyone could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next unsuspecting victim to walk by. She picked up her pace, not slowing down until she reached a street she recognized, one lined with mansions and well-manicured lawns. It was where Chad lived. Sonny had only been there once in her life, when she and her mother had first moved to L.A. They had bought one of those maps of the stars and had gone around to every celebrity's house, marveling at the sheer size of where the rich and famous resided. The Cooper mansion had been one of the many places they had visited.

It took Sonny a while, but at last she found the mansion she was looking for. It was an imposing white brick building three stories high and twice as wide. Corinthian columns graced the entire front of the mansion, and the hedge that encircled the property was interrupted in only one section by a tall iron gate.

Sonny wasn't sure she should be here, but she didn't have much of a choice. She couldn't go home, not now, and this was the only other place she knew she'd feel safe. Before she could change her mind, Sonny pushed open the unlocked gate and ran up to the door. She knocked three times and waited, half hoping Chad wouldn't be home.

There was a few moments of silence, and then a light turned on. Sonny heard footsteps nearing, followed by the door swinging open.

"Sonny!? What in the world happened to you?"

"I—" Sonny didn't know how to begin. Without warning her knees gave out, and she fell forward. Chad caught her and easily lifted her in his arms. He carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

Sonny couldn't imagine what Chad was thinking right now. She knew she must look pretty bad; there were bruises and cuts on her arms where Jack had grabbed her, and a gash on her forehead from where it had collided with the wall. She didn't even know what her back looked like; only that it was bleeding and felt as if it had snapped in two. She inhaled sharply as Chad laid her on the couch in his enormous living room.

"I think I should take you to the hospital," Chad said, his eyes flitting over her many wounds.

"No! I hate hospitals. Please don't take me there," Sonny pleaded.

"Okay, okay. But at least let me go get the first aid kit."

"Fine."

Chad left the room and soon returned with a blue plastic box. He flipped it open and pulled out a spray can of saline solution and several cotton swabs.

"So how'd you get so banged up? That 'I fell down the stairs' excuse won't work this time. Unless those stairs had some built-in fists."

Sonny sighed. There was no other way than to just come out and say it. "It was my dad. He's—he's abusive." Tears began to leak out of the corners of Sonny's eyes. She tried to wipe them away.

"Oh Sonny." Chad abandoned his swabbing to wrap his arms around her, being careful to avoid her injuries. Inside he was furious at this man, the one responsible for hurting her. If Jack was in the room at the moment, Chad would have flattened him in seconds. "We need to do something about this. I'm not going to let you continue to get hurt."

"I don't know what to do. One second he's all nice and sweet, and the next he turns into a monster that I don't even recognize. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"Well nice or not, what he's doing is against the law. He needs to go to jail."

"But he's my dad. I don't have anyone else."

"Sonny, it's not safe. Look what he did to you in only a matter of months. What I pick up the phone one day and find out you're dead because of him?"

Sonny shivered. "I don't know what to do. I'm scared to go to the police, but I'm also scared to go back home."

Chad cleaned Sonny's cuts in silence, obviously trying to think of a solution. "I'm sorry Sonny, but we have to go to the police. I'll be with you through it all, though. I'm sure you can file for emancipation; you can definitely support yourself on what So Random pays you. And you can stay here while your dad's still a threat."

"Alright, but I'm still scared."

"I know. Don't worry though; everything's going to turn out okay."

Sonny closed her eyes and leaned against the arm of the couch, too tired to care whether or not she got blood on it. "I wish things were different," she murmured before drifting off to sleep.

"I wish they were too," Chad said tenderly. He brushed away the hair that had fallen into her face and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. She smiled in her sleep, making him grin in return. He couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked, even when broken. Whatever it took, Chad knew then and there that he would make things different for his Sonny.

**Note- I actually have experience with having an abusive dad. He's not as bad now, but I remember things being a lot worse, similar to how I wrote Jack. I did change some things a little (like my dad never drank or did anything like in the events following), but he did yell and hit a lot, and then forget about it a little later. But anyway, that's why this part was hardest to write, because I don't like to think back what happened in my past with him. Kinda like how Sonny blocked it out of her mind. So please no criticisms on that part; I do know what I'm talking about.**

** Thanks for reading, sorry if it's a bit sad. At least there's always Chad to brighten up the day :)  
**


	5. Peace at Last

**Last chapter. i don't own SWAC. Enjoy :)**

To keep her safe, Chad convinced Sonny to take up temporary residence in one of the many bedrooms in his mansion. He had a personal physician stop by to check her out, and Dr. Reeves informed them that she didn't have any broken bones, although her ribs had suffered some minor bruising. He suggested that she stay in bed and rest until they healed. After he left, Chad called Marshall and informed him of the situation. The executive producer was once again very understanding.

"Poor Sonny. She's been through a lot, hasn't she?" Marshall remarked.

"Yes, she has. And it's still not over," Chad replied.

"Well she can take as much time off as she needs. Her safety's more important right now," Marshall said.

"Thank you, sir," Chad said before hanging up.

The following night, Sonny woke up to the sound of someone banging incessantly on the front door. She found Chad standing in the hall, listening. His expression was guarded, which could only mean one thing.

"Sonny? Alison, are you in there?" His voice sparked terror in Sonny's heart. He sounded lost and confused, and part of her wanted to go to him and tell him everything was okay. The other part of her wanted to run and hide.

"She's not available to talk to you," Chad said through the door. He made no move to open it.

"Alison, I know you can hear me. Why did you leave? I don't understand," Jack said, his tone pleading.

Sonny felt her heart wrenching in two. She clung to Chad, wishing her dad would just go away.

"Please, Alison. Just talk to me."

Sonny almost said something, but she held her tongue. Jack wasn't normal right now, that much she knew. She could hear him blubbering on the other side of the door, sounding more like a baby than a grown man. The noise repulsed Sonny, and she buried her head in Chad's arm to muffle it.

"If you don't leave, I'm going to call the police," Chad threatened.

Eventually the crying faded, and silence descended. Chad peered out the window. "He's gone," he said, breathing in relief.

"Thank goodness. I was afraid he was going to stay there all night." Sonny felt much better now that the man had left. His presence made her tense and uneasy.

"I wouldn't have let him." Chad rubbed Sonny's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Now come on. Let's get some sleep."

On the day Sonny finally went back to the _So Random!_ set, Jack Munroe was safely behind bars. Sonny couldn't believe how good she felt now that she wasn't afraid he was going to chase her down ever again.

"I wish that guy would have come around here. Then I could have given him a piece of my mind," Zora said fervently, her balled fists suggesting she would have done more than just talk. Technically, Sonny's cast mates weren't supposed to know about her family issues. But they just so happened to be incredibly snoopy, and with a little eavesdropping-on-Marshall's-office help from Zora, everyone had found out. Sonny was actually glad they knew. She needed as much support as she could get.

Chad was now accepted on the _So Random!_ set, although Grady, Nico, Tawni and Zora weren't entirely happy about it. But Sonny wanted him there, and for her they decided to let it slide. He was like the other half of her, restoring her to her usual sunny disposition when she was down.

"What is this world coming to?" Tawni said one day as she watched them leave the studio together.

"Oh come on, I know you think they look cute together," Zora said.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. I bet you're even a little jealous."

"Well…"

"Aha! Thought so. I guess now wouldn't be a good time to tell you that that new guy—I think his name's Braden or something—from Mackenzie Falls has been asking about you."

"Mackenzie Falls? Ick!"

"Oh come on. That boy is hot stuff."

Tawni thought for a second. "What the heck. Everything's already been turned upside down by the dream team anyway." She said, referring to Chad and Sonny. And with that she pranced off in the direction of the Mackenzie Falls set.

Zora laughed. "Too easy."

------

Meanwhile, Chad and Sonny were taking a walk through the gardens behind his house. Even though Sonny was living in her own apartment again, she still loved visiting there. Chad missed her whenever she left; besides the help, he was the only one who lived in the mansion, his parents having moved to Europe the previous year. It got rather lonely sometimes, and Sonny's cheerful laugh was always welcome.

"Hey Sonny?" Chad said, interrupting the tranquil quiet that they had been enjoying.

"Hmm?" Sonny replied, still in a bit of a trance.

"I wanted to give you something."

Sonny stopped walking and turned to look at him. "Chad, you've already given me everything I could possibly need or want. What more is there?"

"This." Chad pulled something out of his pocket and tucked it into her palm. Sonny opened her palm to reveal gold band that looked very much like an engagement ring, except instead of a diamond there was a miniature gold heart set with the tiniest of pearls.

"Chad, what is this?" Sonny asked, her eyes wide.

"It's a promise ring. My grandpa gave it to my grandma before they were married, and my grandma gave it to me before she died. I want it to be yours now."

"So you're saying that one day—"

"I want you to marry me? Yeah." Chad smiled nervously. "You're the only person I would ever want to marry. When we're older, would you consider it?"

Sonny grinned. "A couple months ago I would have laughed at the thought of Chad Dylan Cooper asking me to marry him."

"So is—is that a no?"

"Hey, I said I would have laughed then. Now, things are different. I would love to marry you one day, Chad."

"Thank goodness. You had me scared there for a moment."

"Yeah, it's kinda my job."

"Well then, it's kinda my job to do this." Chad picked up an acorn and tossed it at her. Sonny grabbed her own ammunition, and the two started an acorn battle. At last Chad tackled her. It took a while for them to recover from the laughter. When they did, Chad found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Sonny's eyes; he was pretty sure he could see stars sparkling in the two pools of liquid brown. He leaned closer and kissed her. When they pulled away, Sonny was smiling. "I love you," she whispered.

"Not as much as I love you. And always will," Chad told her, leaning in to brush his lips against hers.

---------------------------------------------

**And sadly, here we reach the end. I was just going to stop here, but I realized I rather enjoyed this story (and yes the Channy moments are quite fun to write as well lol) and was considering doing a sequel. Thoughts? Anyway, hope you liked it :)**


End file.
